[Wilson]

Everytime I go to the dealer, I'm told something else is wrong and needs to be fixed. Its a little annoying. I need to get educated before going back to them.

They said my rear axle seal is leaking and that I'll need to get it fixed quickly. Should be about $325-$350 to get it done.

1) What evidence of this problem should I look for?
2) What problems will this cause if not fixed? And how quickly?
3) Does this estimate seem about right?
4) Is this fairly common among Grand Cherokees? I have about 73,700 miles on my 2000.

I'm not a mechanic, so if its not a routine fix, I don't know that I'll have the tools to do anything about it myself. Thanks for the input.

[Wilson]

I noticed a thread below which addresses some of the questions. I don't think I'll be doing this myself. Has anyone had this job done that can give an estimate for cost? I hate taking it to the dealer because I always feel I pay too much. Thanks

[my95yj]

need to figure out what seal they are talking about, then you can post on here and get some info about the fix.....

[Myrtle Beach]

I am not real sure where the axle seal is on the rear end. I just did the front on my truck (99 JGC) You need to check the gear oil and make sure you keep it full so you don;t cause any more damage to the rear end. Problems with the rear ends on these jeeps are very common. The leaking gear oil will cause problems with braking (your brake pads will soak in the oil) so it is a good idea to get it fixed. MAKE SURE YOU CHECK THE GEAR OIL LEVEL!!!!

To look for the problem climb under neath the truck and look at the end of the axle (around where the rear brake rotor attaches and work your way towards the pumpkin looking for gear oil. You should notice a wet area indicating gear oil is leaking.If not pull off the tire and inspect closer to the brake rotor area looking for wetness. Gear oil is thick and should be a yellowish orange color and it stinks like hell.

Good luck

[PDshooter]

Steam clean or get some "engine" degresser and hose down the area that's oily.
That will tell you how bad it reallly is ? after some long drives?